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Saturday, April 06, 2013

Using Embossing Folders (Sharon Jeffs)

Using Embossing Folders

by Sharon Jeffs

There was a time when Embossing folders were all the rage. The moment they were released they were grabbed but like most crafters, I didn’t really do very much with mine other than run a piece of card through a die cut machine to emboss a background for a card. This is why, despite having a loads of embossing folders, I rarely use them!!

To combat this and try and get more use from mine, I decided to do a bit of internet research to see what other crafters are doing with their embossing folders (including this post from our own design team). I found an impressive range of ideas and from these built a few of my own ...

Wax Paper Embossing

I’ve played with with wax paper on glossy cardstock and love the effect which is why the idea of embossing the wax paper first was appealing...

I ironed the embossed wax paper over the glossy paper after embossing it, I then inked over the cardstock leaving a pretty patterned effect.

Embossed Quilted Effect

Emboss squares of cardstock with different designs then piece together to form a quilt effect.

I chose to ink the raised surface of my embossing folders prior to embossing so that I had some added colour. The embossing folders I used already came in strips so I cut them into sections to piece together to form my quilt effect!

Embossing Acetate

Emboss pieces of acetate then add a layer of paint over the surface and either add a contrasting colour or sand the raised parts for a distressed look.

After embossing my piece of acetate I painted a layer of a sand coloured paint, waited for it to be almost dry them rubbed over it with a scrunched piece of wax paper. I then repeated these steps using a black paint.

Wet Embossing

Embossing with powders and a heat gun is often called wet embossing and when combined with an embossing folder, can look really effective.

For my card I chose to emboss my card with an inked embossing folder (I used a clear embossing ink) then added embossing powders over this and heat set it. As an added step I then inked over the whole surface in an alternate colour for added dimension!

Using Diffusers

There is currently a great set of diffusers on the market created by Darice and Sizzix BUT you can also use household items to create your own.

This one was created using one of the Sizzix diffusers, not the main piece but the centre. Diffusers are easy to use once you get the hang of the appropriate sandwich order. (For my Bigshot I layered the main base; embossing folder WITH card inside; Diffuser then the top cutting plate - don't use the bottom at all as the diffuser replaces it to get that awesome effect)

Partial Embossing

This technique is fairly similar to the one above with diffusers, the difference is, only a part of the embossing sandwich is placed between the folders so that only a part of the cardstock is embossed.

To create this effect, I placed my embossing folder onto the die cut plates so that the part I didn't want embossed was hanging over the edge then ran it through the machine!